Bobbin-changing devices

ABSTRACT

A bobbin changer has a carrier supporting two bobbins symmetrically placed relative to a pivot, and guide means such as a fixed cam are provided so that, when the carrier is rotated on its pivot to interchange the positions of the bobbins, one bobbin moves in a shorter path than the other.

United States Patent Inventor William Charles London Deptford, London, England Appl. No. 781,131

Filed Dec. 4, 1968 Patented Mar. 16,1971

Assignee Moline Machine Company Limited London, England Priority Dec. 15, 1967 Great Britain 57040/67 BOBBlN-CHANGING DEVICES 7 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

U.S. Cl 242/64, 242/18, 242/58.2 Int. Cl B65h 49/32, B65h 67/02 Field of Search 242/56 (A),

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,780,469 11/1930 Dinsmoor 242/64 2,066,405 1/1937 Knowlton 242/64X 2,549,912 4/1951 Lindsay 292/64 2,905,402 9/1959 Foller et al 242/18 Primary Examiner-John Petrakes Attorney-Craig, Antonelli, Stewart & Hill ABSTRACT: A bobbin changer has a carrier supporting two bobbins symmetrically placed relative to a pivot, and guide means such as a fixed cam are provided so that, when the carrier is rotated on its pivot to interchange the positions of the bobbins, one bobbin moves in a shorter path than the other.

PATENIED MARI a 797i SHEET 2 OF 3 nonin-cnnncinc DEVICES This invention relates to bobbin-changing devices, for use on apparatus designed to run continuously and requiring a continuous supply of strip material or the like supplied on bobbins, reels or the like (herein simply termed bobbins). An example of such apparatus is a machine for producing cork-tipped cigarettes, which needs a supply of cork strip.

Frequently, only a confined space is available for a bobbinchanging device, and the design of an associated machine (e.g. a machine for making cork-tipped cigarettes) may be such that the space provided for the device is somewhat inaccessible. These factors have led to difficulties, notably in loading full bobbins into the device.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved bobbin-changing device.

According to the invention, there is provided a bobbinchanging device comprising a carrier pivotally mounted on a movable member, said carrier being adapted to support two bobbins symmetrically on either side of its pivot so that by rotation of said carrier the positions of said bobbins may be interchanged, including guide means arranged to govern the movement of said carrier so that one bobbin moves in a shorter path in going from one position to the other than that followed by the other bobbin simultaneously going from the other position to the one position.

Preferably the guide means is a fixed cam engageable by cam followers secured to the carrier, and is arranged so that the one bobbin moves in a straight line in going from a loading position to an operative position while the other bobbin moves in an arcuate path in moving from the operative position to the loading position. Remembering that a bobbin being moved to the operative position will be fully loaded and therefore of larger diameter than a bobbin leaving the operative position, which will have been relieved of its load, it will be appreciated that this preferred arrangement requires minimum space to accommodate the moving bobbins, and provides for the loaded (and therefore heavier) bobbin to take the shorter path.

To enable the invention to be fully understood, a'preferred embodiment thereof will now be described, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. l is an elevation view of a bobbin-changing device embodying the invention; and

FIGS. 2 and 3 are views similar to FIG. 1 but showing the device at different stages of its operation.

The device shown in the drawings is suitable, for example, for supplying cork strip in a machine for producing corktipped cigarettes.

As seen in the drawings, the device carries a replacement bobbin l and a partly used bobbin 2 carrying cork strip in and 2a respectively. The bobbins l. and 2 are respectively mounted on spindles 3 and 4 carried at opposite ends of a bobbin-carrier arm 5 which is secured at its center to a rotatable spindle ll; also secured to the spindle is a sprocket 6 driven by a chain 7 which passes around a further sprocket 8, freely rotatable on a spindle 23.

The sprocket 8 is driven by rotation of a handwheel 9 through reduction gearing generally indicated at 10.

A strut l4 freely pivoted at one end on the spindle 23 carries at its other end journals for the spindle 11 supporting the arm 5. Mounted transversely on the arm 5 is a beam 15 carrying guide spools l6, 17. A tension spring 18 is connected between an anchorage 12 on the strut i4, and an anchorage 13 on a fixed member 19. Cam follower rollers 20, 21 carried by the spindles 3, 4 respectively are engageable with a fixed cam 22.

Considering the device first in the condition illustrated FIG. 1, when further cork strip has been removed from the bobbin 2 so that the latter is nearly empty, so that the bobbins have to be changed, the handwheel 9 is rotated counterclockwise and drives the chain 7 through the reduction gearing l and the sprocket 8. The chain 7 imparts this motion to the sprocket 6 hence the arm turns (also counterclockwise). Since the follower roller 2i is in contact with the fixed cam 22 and therefore cannot move to the right (as seen in the drawings), the arm 5 pivots counterclockwise about the spindle 3, causing the strut M to pivot counterclockwise about its pivot 23, increasing the tension in the spring 18. As this happens the cam follower roller 21 moves up the cam 22.

Continued rotation of the handwheel 9 brings the device first to the condition shown in FIG. 2, and finally to the condition of FIG. 3. In the condition of FIG. 2, which is merely a transient intermediate condition, the arm 5 is horizontal with the cam follower roller 21 in contact with the cam 22, thus the two bobbins l, 2 are at the same height above the handwheel 9. At this stage a splicer (not shown) will have joined the two cork strips la and 2a, and the strip la will be in use while the strip 2a will have been exhausted. The beam 15 will have turned with the arm 5 on which it is mounted, hence the guide spools l6, 17 are in new positions; in the condition of FIG. 2 neither spool 16 nor spool 17 is operative, as the strip 20 is no longer running to occupy spool 16 while spool l7 has not yet engaged the strip 1a.

As the movements described continue with further rotation of handwheel 9, spool 17 engages the strip 11 and deflects it to the right, so that as the bobbin 2 approaches the position shown in FIG. 3 it does not foul the strip la. When the device reaches the condition shown in FIG. 3, rotation of the handwheel 9 is stopped, and all the consequential movements described necessarily cease. At this stage, it will be seen that the device has given the replacement bobbin 1 a straight vertical lift from its original position (FIG. 1). The strip 1a now leads off from the bobbin 1 via the guide spool 17, clear from the bobbin 2 which is now below bobbin 1, and the strut M has returned to its original position with the spring 18 relaxed. When the bobbin 1 is nearly run down the bobbin 2 can be replaced with a new replacement bobbin and then the cycle of operations can be repeated as the strip la approaches exhaustion by turning the handwheel 9 anticlockwise as before; during this change, it will be understood that it is the follower roller 20 which moves up the fixed cam 22 and the guide spool 16 which deflects the strip from the replacement bobbin to the right as the bobbin change nears completion.

The device can be modified by the addition of a drive motor to replace the handwheel 9, thus making the operation easier for the machine operator.

As shown and described, the device is in a disposition suitable for fitting above the machine to which the cork strip is fed, and it will be appreciated that replacement (i.e. full loaded) bobbins always have to be placed on the lower one of the two spindles 3, 4, thus simplifying the machine operator's task. The device may however be mounted in an inverted position, so that the cork strip feeds upwardly from the device, or on its side.

I claim:

ll. A bobbin-changing device comprising a movable member, a carrier pivotally mounted on said movable member and adapted to support two bobbins symmetrically on either side of its pivot so that by rotation of said carrier the position of the two bobbins may be interchanged, a fixed cam, and cam followers secured to said carrier for cooperation with said cam to govern the movement of said carrier so that one bobbin moves in a shorter path in going from one position to the other than that followed by the other bobbin simultaneously going from the other position to the one position.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, in which said one position is a loading position, said other position is an operative position, and said fixed cam is so arranged that said one bobbin moves in a straight line in going from said loading position to said operative position while the other bobbin moves in an arcuate path in moving from the operative position to the loading position.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2, in which said movable member is a strut pivotally mounted at one end and carrying at its other end journals for a spindle supporting the carrier.

4. A device as claimed in claim 3, in which said strut is resiliently biased in such sense further comprising resilient biasing means operatively connected to said strut so that the carrier is urged towards the fixed cam.

5. A device as claimed in claim 1, including drive means for rotating the carrier.

6. A device as claimed in claim 5, in which said drive means comprises a spindle rotatable with and supporting the carrier, 

1. A bobbin-changing deviCe comprising a movable member, a carrier pivotally mounted on said movable member and adapted to support two bobbins symmetrically on either side of its pivot so that by rotation of said carrier the position of the two bobbins may be interchanged, a fixed cam, and cam followers secured to said carrier for cooperation with said cam to govern the movement of said carrier so that one bobbin moves in a shorter path in going from one position to the other than that followed by the other bobbin simultaneously going from the other position to the one position.
 2. A device as claimed in claim 1, in which said one position is a loading position, said other position is an operative position, and said fixed cam is so arranged that said one bobbin moves in a straight line in going from said loading position to said operative position while the other bobbin moves in an arcuate path in moving from the operative position to the loading position.
 3. A device as claimed in claim 2, in which said movable member is a strut pivotally mounted at one end and carrying at its other end journals for a spindle supporting the carrier.
 4. A device as claimed in claim 3, in which said strut is resiliently biased in such sense further comprising resilient biasing means operatively connected to said strut so that the carrier is urged towards the fixed cam.
 5. A device as claimed in claim 1, including drive means for rotating the carrier.
 6. A device as claimed in claim 5, in which said drive means comprises a spindle rotatable with and supporting the carrier, a sprocket secured to said spindle, a further sprocket, a chain linking said sprockets, a handwheel, and reduction gearing connecting said further sprocket to said handwheel.
 7. A device as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a beam mounted on said carrier and further guide means on said beam for guiding material dispensed from said bobbins. 